This assignment asks students to compare and contrast two arguments about the nature of culture and cultural diversity. Students will be assigned two specific readings, and be required to identify the principal differences (and similarities) between how the authors understand the culture, its relationship to society, and the implications of cultural diversity.
Two Readings for Comparison
– Ruth Benedict, Patterns of Culture (New York: Penguin, 1934), pp.32-40.
– Ann Swidler, ‘Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies,’ American Sociological Review (Vol.5, No.2, 1986), pp.273-286.
